Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership

Welcome to the home page of the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership (BAML) —

a ministry training partnership of the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board and Bethany Theological Seminary. The Academy is an umbrella for several nondegree ministry training efforts within the Church of the Brethren.  You may view or download our Ministry Training Brochure for an overview of the variety of ministerial training programs available in the Church of the Brethren.  For more detailed descriptions of our ministry training programs please scroll to the bottom of the page.

Quick Reference List of Resources

• Form for TRIM/EFSM and SeBAH program enrollment fees
  Formulario para las tarifas de inscripción al programa TRIM/EPMC y SeBAH
  

• Form for course registration and fees or payment of annual TRIM fees
  Formulario para el registro del curso y las tarifas o el pago de las tasas anuales de TRIM

• List of upcoming Academy courses

Additional Documents

• District Materials for Academy Programs

• Frequently used forms for the Training in Ministry Program

Continuing Education

Strength for the Journey

Strength for the Journey (SFTJ) brings together small groups of ministers via Zoom to share experiences, hone skills, explore ideas, wrestle with common dilemmas, and take on topics that spark new energy for ministry, all while earning CEUs.

This link provides more information:  https://bethanyseminary.edu/brethren-academy/strength-for-the-journey/

Lifelong Learning Resources

This link provides a list of several lifelong learning resources:
https://bethanyseminary.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Lifelong-Learning-Resources.pdf

Recorded Events for CEUs

Policy for Viewing Prerecorded Materials https://bethanyseminary.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/PolicyViewingPrerecordedMaterialForCEUs_v3.pdf
Continuing Education Report for Recorded Material https://bethanyseminary.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/CEU_Report_Recorded_Event.pdf

Eventos Pregrabados para CEU

Póliza para Visualizar Material Pregrabados para CEUs  https://bethanyseminary.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Spanish-Policy-for-recorded-webinars.pdf
Reporte de Material Grabado para la Educación Continua  https://bethanyseminary.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Spanish-CEU-Report-for-Recorded-Event.pdf

Anrejistre Evènman pou CEUs

Règleman pou kappa wè materyèl ki anrejistre deja pou Inite Edikasyon Kontinyèl (CEUs) https://bethanyseminary.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/HaitianCreole-Policy-for-recorded-webinars.pdf
Rapò Edikasyon Kontinyèl Pou Rekòd Materyèl https://bethanyseminary.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/HaitianCreole-CEU-Report-for-recorded-event.pdf

Upcoming Live Events

Clergy Tax  Seminar – Early 2025                 

For more information or to register, please check back in the Fall 2024.

Students, clergy, and anyone who deals with clergy finances are invited to participate in this online Zoom seminar with Deb Oskin.

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“For additional Continuing Education opportunities sponsored by the Church of the Brethren, please click here.”

Clergy Ethics

Ethics for the Set-Apart Ministry: Basic Course

Basic Clergy Ethics is designed for licensed ministers and others new to the Church of the Brethren who need an introductory ethics course.  Ministers who have questions regarding this requirement, please contact your district executive.

• Basic Clergy Ethics -May 18, 2024.
  Click for brochure information or to register   (choose “other” as purpose and type “Clergy Ethics”  as reason)

Advanced Clergy Ethics

Advanced Clergy Ethics is coordinated by the Church of the Brethren Office of Ministry.  Ministers who have questions about this requirement, please contact your district executives.

Brethren Academy Programs

Most courses offered through the Academy are open to ministry students, pastors, and laypeople. Course formats include residential intensives at Bethany, intensives at a variety of locations around the United States, and online courses.

In English

Education for a Shared Ministry (EFSM) provides congregational-based ministry training in a variety of settings: small congregations, churches with ministry teams, as well as those with specialized ministries.  EFSM is available in both English and Spanish. For more information, view or download the EFSM Brochure.

Training in Ministry (TRIM) is a flexible training program incorporating college and seminary classes, Academy-level courses, independent study units, and pastoral formation experiences. TRIM is particularly suited for individuals who have not completed an undergraduate college degree.  For more information, view or download the TRIM Brochure.

En Español

Educación para un Ministerio Compartido (EPMC) provee capacitación ministerial congregacional en una variedad de escenarios: congregaciones pequeñas, iglesias con equipos ministeriales, así como aquellos con ministerios especializados. EPMC está disponible en inglés y español. Para obtener más información, consulte o descargue el folleto de EPMC (EFSM en inglés).

Seminario Biblico Anabautista Hispano-de la Iglesia de los Hermanos (SeBAH-CoB) un programa de certificacion basica en español para entrenamiento ministerial coordinado por el Instituto Teologico de la Iglesia de Los Hermanos (en ingles, The Brethren Academy) conjunto con los distritos y las Instituciones Menonitas de Educacion Superior – el folleto de SeBAH-CoB.

Translation: SeBAH-CoB is a Spanish-language ministry training program coordinated by the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership in partnership with the districts and the Hispanic Pastoral and Leadership  Education Office of the Mennonite Education Agency.  For more information, view or download the SeBAH-CoB brochure.

Staff for the Academy include Janet Ober Lambert, director; Audrey Hollenberg-Duffey, coordinator of English-language ministry training programs; Arlyn Morales, coordinator of Spanish-language ministry training programs; and Fran Massie, administrative assistant. They work in a collaborative style with the Ministry Team of the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board, the faculty of Bethany Theological Seminary, the Ministry Advisory Council, the Council of District Executives, and congregations and agencies of the Church of the Brethren.